


Reunion at Deadman's Curve

by clgfanfic



Category: Riptide (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-01
Updated: 2012-11-01
Packaged: 2017-11-17 12:26:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/551563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to "Be True to Your School."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reunion at Deadman's Curve

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the zine Our Favorite Things #6 and later in BAB: Special Collection #2 under the pen name Lynn Gill.

Cody lay in darkness, listening to the labored breathing of his partner and best friend.  The small stateroom they shared vibrated with Nick's restless movements, and Cody considered waking the dark-haired detective, but decided that bad sleep was better than no sleep, which was what Nick had been getting over most of the last week.

He had tried on several different occasions to draw Nick into explaining the nightmares that were obviously invading his sleep, but a stony denial that anything was wrong was the only reward he received for his efforts.  Whatever it was, Nick wasn't ready to share it with anyone.

Cody flinched as his partner came awake with a strangled yell.

Nick swung his legs over the side of the small bunk and sat for several moments before levering himself up and staggering quietly to the deck of the _Riptide_.  Cody paused for a moment, wondering if he should follow his instincts and go force the truth out of Nick, or leave him alone above. 

He sat up.  "Damn, Nick, why do you have to make things so hard sometimes?" he asked softly as he grabbed his shirt.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Nick leaned heavily on the _Riptide_ 's railing, staring out to sea.  Behind him, the lights lining Pier 56 cast pools of light on the harbor water, which shifted them into complicated patterns bearing an amazing resemblance to the jumbled thoughts that undulated through the tired detective's mind.  Nick seldom thought of himself as a superstitious man, but the events of the last week had weakened the usual conviction he had in his own judgments and feelings.

He listened as Cody left the stateroom and started for the deck and sighed.  It was time to talk to his partner, although he doubted the blond would believe a word of what he had to say.

 _Hell, I don't know if I believe it, but I saw what I saw.  At least it'll be in the open.  I owe him that much_ , Nick thought.  _I've been a pain in the ass the last week.  I don't have a right to take out my problems on Cody and Murray, but I've got to tell someone.  The race is only two days away, and if it goes the same way as it does in the dream . . . Well, at least it won't come as so much of a surprise_.

"Nick?"

"Yeah, over here," he said quietly, his voice carrying easily on the warm night breeze.

Cody joined him at the rail, taking up a position facing the pier.  "You want to talk about it?"

"I guess it's high time, huh?"

Cody nodded.  "Yeah, I think so; neither of us is getting any sleep, and we're snapping at each other all the time.  Hell, even Murray's getting anxious around us. We go on much longer like this we end up shooting each other or something."

Nick allowed himself a small smile.  "Okay, look, I know this is gonna sound a little weird, so bear with me.  You remember last week when Murray saw that article about Bebber being killed in that prison riot?"

"Yeah?" Cody said carefully, knowing that there were still painful memories attached to Nick's old high school teammate.

"Well, that same afternoon when I went and picked up the mail I found an invitation to the Lincoln High Class of 1969's twentieth reunion."  He paused and made his way to the cushioned seat.  It was going to be a long story.  "I called the school.  I mean, after what happened last time I didn't really think it was appropriate, you know?"

Cody shrugged.  "There are other people who weren't involved, Nick.  They have good memories they want to keep alive."

"I guess so.  Anyway, that's about what the coordinator told me.  So I decided I wasn't going.  You know, it still hurts when I think about Deke and what happened.  I guess I still feel a little betrayed…"  Nick sighed heavily, running his hand across the back of his neck.  "That night the dreams started."

"Dreams?" Cody questioned, urging his friend to continue.

"Bebber.  Man, every time I go to sleep he's there, taunting me, ribbing me, telling me I have to go to that reunion.  He's called me out, Cody."

Allen paced the deck, trying to decide what he should say.  "Maybe that's just the part of you that wants to go fighting with the part that doesn't," he offered.

"Look, none of the amateur psychology, okay?  Besides, I thought about that. It's not that simple.  Bebber wants me to meet him up at Deadman's Curve after the reunion.  He wants to race."

"Nick, he's dead.  He can't meet you there, and he sure as hell can't race with you."

"Don't you think I know that?" Nick snapped, then sighed heavily, getting a tighter rein on his temper.  "Look, if it was just the dreams, no matter how damn real they are, I'd blow this off, but it isn't just dreams, Cody.  I've seen Bebber three times since–  Well, since he died.  I was driving over to pick up Murray's order from the electronics store and I saw him standing on the corner.  He looked right at me, waved, then pantomimed holding onto a steering wheel.  A couple of days later, I saw him up on the pier and he did the same thing.  Then, yesterday, I was coming down the quay and I saw him on the boat, man.  Same thing.  How could he get on the boat with all of Murray's security?  You two weren't there, and when I got down here he was gone, but I saw him – on the boat."

Cody leaned back against the _Riptide_ 's rail and sighed.  He wasn't sure what he'd expected to hear, but it certainly wasn't this.  "I don't know what to say, Nick," he admitted.  "I don't believe in ghosts, or at least I don't believe in this one.  There must be some explanation that's… _human_ , if you know what I mean.  But I'll admit that the man has a lot of reasons to hate you.  A lot of reasons to want a shot at you.  Maybe he has found a way.  But you have to admit, it sounds damned strange."

Nick stood and rubbed the back of his neck again.  "I know," he said.  "Look, in the dream we end up racing.  The 'Vette, she's sweet, doing fine, then, as we get to the curve there's something wrong, I can't tell what it is, but I lose control, or maybe a swerve, I can't tell, but…"  He trailed off.

"What?" Cody asked, stepping closer to Nick.  He could see the shine of sweat that had sprung up on his partner's face as Nick recalled the nightmare.

The detective's voice was shaky as he finished.  "I lose it, man, right in the turn.  The 'Vette and I go over the side.  It's one hell of an explosion."  Nick raised his head, meeting Cody's eyes and finding them filled with concern.  "I die, Cody.  Bebber kills me."

Cody reached out and rested a hand on his partner's shoulder.  "Okay, maybe    I can't explain this, but Bebber _can't_ hurt you if he's dead.  I think you're just having trouble with the reunion situation, and it's coming out in your dreams."

"You mean I'm going crazy, huh?"

"No, but the mind can fool us pretty easy, sometimes."

"Yeah, maybe so, but I feel better now that I've told you.  If anything happens now it won't be so much of a shock."

"Nick, that's not a damn bit funny," Cody snapped, removing his hand.

"I didn't mean it to be."

Nick stepped past the blond and disappeared inside, leaving the detective alone to reach his own conclusions.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

The next two days passed in a tense silence.  Murray quickly confirmed that it was Bebber who had died, the knowledge adding an edge to the atmosphere on the _Riptide_.  Cody confined himself to working around the boat while Nick disappeared for hours on end with no explanation.  Meals were uncomfortable moments of superficial discussion of the weather and the latest improvements in varnish for the boat.  Murray forced himself to remain silent, afraid that questions might set the two men on one another.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Morning dawned with nothing to mark it as a day unlike any other.  The sunrise was not spectacular, the sky too hazy and the temperature unexciting.  Nick moved quietly around the _Riptide_ , savoring each movement, believing them to be his last memories of a life that he loved.  Fully dressed, he tiptoed into Murray's bedroom and set the thick envelope on the man's computer keyboard where it would be impossible to miss.  The Roboz's head followed his movements, a silent question mark lighting up the robot's chest screen.

Exiting as silently as he'd come, Nick paused in the salon to leave a second, thinner envelope next to the coffeepot.  Leaving the boat with a single glance over his shoulder, Nick hunched his shoulders against the cold breeze that picked up off the ocean and headed for the 'Vette.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Cody stretched under the covers and rolled over to see if Nick was still asleep. The sight of the empty, made, bed startled him fully awake.  Generally it took a real effort to get Nick to make his bunk, but there it was, as tight as their days in the Army.  Grabbing for his jeans, Cody yanked them up and grabbed a sweater, which he pulled on as he climbed up to the salon.  A quick glance was all it took to spot the envelope next to the coffeepot.

Nick's neat, strong script spelled out Cody's name across the white envelope. The flap wasn't sealed, just tucked inside.  Cody pulled it up and removed the single page.  Opening the letter he read silently.

 

_Cody,_

_I know you think all this is just in my mind.  I don't know, I hope you're right, but just in case it's not, there are a few things that I want to say.  First, I want you to know that you're the best friend a guy could ever have.  I know that sounds clichéd, but it's true.  We've had our share of disagreements, but in the end we always came around, didn't we?  Second, don't blame yourself if anything does happen, okay?  I knew what I was letting myself in for and it's just something I have to do.  I don't know why and I'm not sure I want to, but you couldn't have stopped it one way or the other._

_I'm glad Murray's there.  Take care of him.  Don't let him stop any bullets or anything, okay?_

_Hell, I'm not very good at this sort of thing, but I want you to know that you mean a lot to me.  We've been together a long time.  We've saved each other's butts more times than I can count, and we've seen each other through hell and back a few times.  You're not just like a brother to me, Cody, you're something more.  Something I can't describe, so take care of yourself, for me._

_I'll keep an eye out on you guys, I promise.  I believe I can do that._

_Know that I love you like you were by brother._

_Nick_

 

Cody read the letter twice before he could set it down.

 _I have to wake Murray up, we've got to stop him_ , the blond detective thought, turning.

"Cody?"  Murray was half-running up the stairs.  "Cody's what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Cody asked, still distracted by his own thoughts.  "Murray, we have to find Nick–"

"That's what I mean!" the computer whiz exploded.  "I found this on my terminal this morning."  He waved several pages in front of Cody.  "It's Nick's will, and a letter – a goodbye letter!"

"Get dressed," Cody said.  "I'll explain on the way."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

As the morning brightened, Nick drove the route he knew he'd retrace later in the day.   Reaching the bottom of the hill, he turned toward Lincoln High.  It was hard for the detective to believe that twenty years had passed since he had walked those halls, worrying about his next game, or his next date.  He smiled to himself.  _Probably should've been worrying more about my next test_.

An unsettled childhood had created a large need in the young man to be accepted by his peers.  A fact that the adult Nick Ryder understood, but the feelings of the adolescent still stirred deep in his heart and mind.  The acceptance that he'd craved so desperately came from team sports.  On the football field he was necessary, an integral part of a group of boys who were like a family.  They had taught him about girls, about getting drunk, about loyalty, and competition, and team spirit – all things that had become a part of the man; things that had seen him through Vietnam and gave him a depth of soul that only a few were privileged to see and understand.

Finding out that the team was corrupt went against everything Nick believed in.  It had cut down the pillars that his ethics and beliefs were built on.  If those men had gone wrong, if Deke, his best friend, had gone wrong, the only explanation there could be for Nick was that he had failed them.  He shared the guilt.

It was foolish.  It was sentimental.  But it was the way he felt.  He couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he could have made a difference… _if_ he had been there.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

The Lincoln High football field had been decorated with long tables spaced along the sidelines and stacked with food and drinks.  A live band played the hits from 1969 at one end-zone while the registration tables were set up at the other end.  Nick parked and headed over to Deloris Matuski, who sat at the table making up name-tags for the new arrivals.

She looked up and smiled.  "Nicker!" she called, waving.

He nodded and smiled thinly as he joined her at the table.

"Oh, I'm so glad you decided to come.  We were afraid you wouldn't after–  Well, after the last time."

Nick shrugged.  "I told someone I'd meet him here," he said by way of an explanation.

The woman printed his name on one of the tags and handed it to the dark-haired man, who pealed off the back and stuck it to his shirt pocket.

Wandering around the field, Nick noticed the changes twenty years can bring. No one approached him.

Thinking that it was the fact that they didn't know what to say to him, Nick let it slide.  He didn't realize it was the expression of pain on his face that held people off.

Finally he settled himself on an empty sideline bench and watched the couples who were dancing on the plywood someone had laid on the grass.

"Hey, Nick!"

Nick looked over his shoulder toward the voice.  Leaning against the stands, Bebber smiled and waved.

Fighting back the chill that caused his skin to pucker into goosebumps, Nick swallowed hard.  Bebber hiked a thumb over his shoulder and Nick followed the line of motion to find a bright yellow Charger sitting next to the 'Vette in the parking lot.  When he looked back at the dead man Bebber motioned toward the vehicles with a dramatic sweep of his hand.  Nick nodded.

"You're not leaving already, are you?" Doris asked as Nick walked past her.

"Huh?  Oh, yeah, I'm afraid so.  The guy I was waiting for is here."

She looked around, seeing no new arrivals, but before she could ask Nick about it he was stalking off across the parking lot.  She shook her head, turning her attention back to Freddy Philpot as he attempted to get Nancy Miller to dance.  He wasn't having any better luck today than he had twenty years ago.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Cody left Murray in the car with the motor running as he jogged over to ask if Nick had been at the reunion.  One look at the parking lot told them that if he had been, he wasn't there any longer.

"Oh, sure," Doris told the blond detective.  "He was here for a few minutes, but he left about, oh, ten, fifteen minutes ago.  He said he was meeting someone here and left when the guy arrived, but I didn't see anybody."

Cody thanked the woman and returned to the Jimmy, trying to fight off the cold chill that settled into his gut.

"Well?" Murray questioned.

"He was here, but he left about ten minutes ago."

"Where to now?" the thin detective asked quietly.

"Deadman's Curve."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Nick sat at the top of the hill, looking down the winding road that would carry him past Deadman's Curve.  Bebber gunned the Charger's engine.

Nick looked over at the blue eyes that watched him.  "Let's get this over with," he yelled at the apparition.

Bebber smiled.

The two cars screamed, gray-black smoke rising from the tires as they ground against the asphalt.  Both cars lurched into the race.

Nick watched the bright yellow teasing at the corner of his eye, but he concentrated on the road ahead of him.  The 'Vette hugged the curves as he knew she would.  _Sweet, baby, sweet_ , he cooed silently to the car.  _Come on, baby_.

He saw the yellow car inch forward more, drawing slightly ahead of the 'Vette, and curled his toes, increasing the pressure on the accelerator enough to draw even again.

They continued side by side, neither man able to pull ahead of the other.  Then Nick decided to take a gamble.  He dropped back, jockeying into position on the inside, next to the hillside, then edged up even with the Charger and pressed hard on the accelerator.

Ryder began to pull away.

Sweeping out of a turn, Nick's eyes widened as he saw the Jimmy headed straight for him.  His head snapped first to look at Bebber and found the man laughing at him.

A blaring horn jarred Nick and he looked back at the rapidly approaching car. With Cody ahead, Bebber on his right and the hillside on the left, Nick was trapped.  He let his foot come off the accelerator and descend on the brake.

The 'Vette and the Jimmy both screeched, sliding toward one another on the narrow road.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Cody jerked his hand off the horn and yanked the wheel of the Jimmy to the left, hoping that if he was going to collide with Nick it would be safer to do so sideways rather than head-on.  He watched Nick do the same.

Cody's hands cramped down on the wheel as the two cars skidded toward one another.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Nick saw the look of triumph on Bebber's face just before he began sliding toward the Charger, crowding Bebber closer to the edge of the road.  The man gave Nick a short wave and then turned his wheel, sending the Charger over the edge of the road.

As the 'Vette slid to a stop Nick watched the car tumble end over end down the slope, landing on the sand below.  It bounced slightly and rocked to a stop, hood down.  The car burst into flames, black smoke curling lazily into the sky.

"Nick!"

The detective looked away from the wreck to find Cody and Murray standing in the three foot space between the Jimmy and the 'Vette.

"What the hell were you doing?!" Cody nearly screamed.

Murray reached out, resting a hand on the blond's shoulder, nodding at the expression on Nick's face.

"You don't see it?" the dark-haired man asked.

"See what?" Murray asked calmly.

Nick glanced back at the wreckage.  Bebber stood on the sand, his hands on his hips and a big smile on his face.  He scowled as the dead man waved.

"I'd like an explanation!"

The anger in his partner's voice drew Nick's head around and he looked into the faces of his two best friends.  "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"'I'm sorry' isn't gonna cut it, Nick!"

The whole situation was like something out of a dream, Nick decided.  He could hear Cody, but it was like he was on a movie screen, unreal, untouchable, time moving at different speeds for the two men and Ryder.  He looked back at the beach only to find it empty.

Empty?

"Cody?"

The blond detective felt the majority of the anger slip away, concern taking its place.  Nick's voice was barely audible.  "Buddy?" he said, taking a step forward and watching as Nick collapsed onto the steering wheel.  The horn barked as Cody reached out and pulled the dark-haired man back against the seat.

Murray stepped up to help.  "Cody, he's so pale."

"I know.  Look, can you drive the Jimmy back?"

"Sure, but what're you going to do?"

"I'll follow you in the 'Vette.  Let's just get him home."

"Don't you think we ought to take him to a hospital?"

"What do we tell them?  He's not hurt."

Murray thought for a moment, then nodded, heading for the driver's side of the Jimmy.

Cody took Nick's shoulders and gave him a shake.  "Nick?  Come on, Nick."

Dark blue eyes blinked opened.

"Move over, I'm driving," Cody said.

For once Nick had no objections about his partner driving his precious car.  He moved over sluggishly, trying not to look back at the beach, but he couldn't stop his gaze from searching for some sign of the crash.  There were none.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

The drive back to the _Riptide_ was made in silence.  Cody didn't trust himself not to take Nick's head off if he got started, so he bit back the questions and kept his eyes on the road.  Braking at the pier, Cody watched his partner nearly fall as he climbed out of the car.  Twice Cody reached out to stabilize Nick's staggering steps as they walked down to the boat.

Nick headed straight to his bunk and collapsed into what Cody hoped was sleep.

"What now?" Murray asked softly from the doorway.

"I don't know," Cody said, the frustration and confusion clear in his rough voice.  "I've never seen him act like this.  I just don't know what to do."

They climbed the stairs to the salon, Murray picking up a pencil from the table and turning it over absently in his fingers.  "Cody, maybe we should think about professional help for Nick," he said.

"You think he's crazy?"

"I didn't say that, but the mind is a very complicated organ.  Maybe a professional could help.  We haven't been able to."

Cody sighed.  He was half-convinced the thin detective was right, but another part of him said that what Nick needed wasn't some doctor asking a lot of questions. However, what he did need Cody was equally confused about.

"Maybe later, okay?  Right now I just want to let him sleep.  When he wakes up he's going to answer some of my questions, first.  Then we'll decide what to do."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

"Nick, you were _alone_ ," Cody said, using all of his control to keep his voice at a moderate level.

Murray nodded.

Nick's head pounded, the pain rolling from temple to temple like the tide.  It was too early in the morning for this.  He knew they wanted, needed, an explanation, but it wasn't his fault if they wouldn't believe him.  He shrugged.

"That's not good enough, Nick.  You were alone out there, going damn-near seventy-five.  And when you saw us you didn't even try to go around!  You turned toward the cliff for Christ sake!  What were you planning on doing?  Driving over?"

"Cody, I _couldn't_ go around!  Bebber was to my left.  I did the only thing I could, I pulled the wheel to keep from hitting you!  I'm not suicidal, if that's what you're asking."

"Damn it, Nick, how many times do we have to tell you, there were no other cars on the road!" Cody roared.

Nick shook his head and instantly regretted it.  "Look, I _know_ what I saw!  You aren't going to believe me, so think whatever the hell you want!"  The detective pushed himself to his feet and stood for a moment, trying to stop the vertigo that contorted the room and the words that were being spoken to him; only the concerned tone registered.  He raised a hand and pushed Cody away and headed below.

Cody waited until he heard Nick in the stateroom before he turned to Murray, saying, "Okay, let's call somebody."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Murray finished the breakfast dishes, then explained that he was going to make a trip over to the electronics store to pick up a few parts for the Roboz.  Nick nodded, not really paying attention to the words that washed over him as he sat, huddled in the corner of the booth, a half-full cup of coffee cradled in his hands.

"Why don't you take the Jimmy?" Cody offered.

"Thanks, I'll be back in a couple of hours."

Cody waited until Murray left the kitchen before he smiled at his partner and said, "Couple of hours my foot.  Once he's in there they'll have to throw him out to get him to leave!"

The comment drew a thin smile from Nick.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened earlier.  It's just hard for us, you know?"  He waited, hoping the man would say something.  When he didn't, Cody added, "Nick, what's wrong?"

Blue eyes flickered from the cup to Cody's face and back again.  Nick shook his head.  "I can't explain it."

"Try?"

Nick sighed.  "Look, you'll just get mad again and–"

"Nick, listen, please.  I was upset earlier, I won't deny that, but I swear I'll listen, even if I don't understand, okay?"

Nick sipped at his coffee, then set the cup down and sighed.  "I feel like I'm in a dream… like I'm not really here… sort of disconnected, I guess.  It's like when I reach for something I feel like my hand's going to pass right through it."

"Buddy, I don't know what's happening.  I don't have any answers.  Don't get mad, but, would you at least consider seeing someone who might be able to explain this?"

Suspicion filled the blue eyes as Nick ground his jaws shut.  It was one thing for Cody to worry about him, but damn it, he didn't believe a thing he'd said about the whole situation.  _I never thought Cody would totally lose his trust in me_.  The thought hurt more than the continued pounding in his head.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Murray stood outside the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Mental Health Office, and adjusted his jacket before he walked in.  A pretty nurse looked up from the desk in the lobby and smiled.

"Can I help you?"

"I don't know," Murray said, walking up to stand nervously in front of the desk.

"Well, today is the first time in seven weeks we haven't been swamped, so why don't you pull up a chair and we'll see what we can do."

"Oh, well, before we start I have to tell you, I'm here because my partner and I, we're private detectives, are worried about our third partner."

A wave of skepticism wrinkled over the young woman's face, settling into a furrowed brow.

"Really," Murray said, removing his identification.

She looked the card over carefully before she smiled at the thin man.  "Sorry, we get some pretty wild stories in here, so I'm a little slow to believe 'my friend has this problem' lines."

"Oh, I can certainly understand that," Murray said, then giggled.  "I guess it did sound a little funny, huh?"

"Sit down, Mister Bozinsky, and tell me about your partner."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Cody settled back into a deck chair and watched as Nick slowly eased out along the cushioned seat.  It looked like the dark-haired detective was drugged, the movements deliberate, slow, like wet blankets covered his limbs.

Nick closed his eyes to the noonday glare and sighed.  "Cody, what would I tell someone if I went?  That I saw a ghost?  That he challenged me to a race and I took him up on it?  That I watched him crash, but there was nothing there?"

"Bebber crashed?"

Nick nodded.  "Yeah, like I told you, he was on the outside.  When I pulled into the slide, he swerved and went over the edge.  I watched him tumble and hit.  The car exploded."  Nick shook his head.  "I don't know, maybe I _am_ crazy.  When I looked back the first time Bebber was standing there, waving at me, but the second time I looked, there wasn't anything there."

Cody leaned forward.  "Think, Nick, was there really nothing?  Was there smoke left over?  Was the sand disturbed?"  He watched his friend's high forehead crease.

"No, there was no smoke.  And the sand was smooth.  I remember seeing a sand piper there and wondering if he knew what was going on."

Cody's mind churned with possibilities.  Could Nick have been drugged in some way.  Hypnosis, maybe?  He was about to suggest the possibilities when Nick half-lurched off the seat and headed for the railing facing the pier.

"What?"

"There!  Do you see him?!"  Nick pointed frantically to the entrance of the Fish Market at the top of slip seven.

Cody looked, searching the faces for Bebber, but all he saw was a collection of locals and tourists.  "Nick, where?"

Nick started off the boat, Cody following closely behind.  "Come on, he's moving!"

The blond detective trotted to keep up with his partner, who swayed from one side of the ramp to the other as he progressed toward the Fish Market.  Once they were on the pier, Nick quickly scanned the crowds.  A distant rush in his ears broke up the questions Cody was asking.  He spotted Bebber, further down the pier, leaning against the railing meant to keep visitors safely away from the ocean.

"There!" Nick said triumphantly, pointing.

Bebber smiled broadly and waved.

Cody followed the pointing finger that trembled slightly.  "I don't see a thing, Nick."

Bebber waved again and walked away as Nick turned to look at Cody.  "You didn't see him?"

"Nick, there's no one there!"  He watched his friend fight back tears that were building, turning his eyes a deeper blue.  "Christ, I guess I _am_ going nuts.  What the hell's wrong with me, Cody?!"

Several people glanced their direction and Cody rested a supporting hand on Nick's shoulder and guided back toward the _Riptide_.  "I don't know, but we'll help you, you can count on that, buddy.  I promise."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

"Okay, thanks a lot," Murray said, standing and extending his hand to the doctor.  The older man smiled and took it in a short handshake.

The nurse had realized that she was out of her depth after several minutes with the somewhat attractive detective.  She phoned Dr. Halverson, then left the two men alone to discuss the problem.

"If you can convince your friend to come in on his own, that would be a step in the right direction.  It's easier to work with patients who recognize they have a problem and want to get better."

"I'll do what I can."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Cody sat dejectedly in the salon when Murray returned.  The look on the blond's face told the computer whiz that something serious had happened while he'd been gone.  "What's wrong?"

"Nick.  He 'saw' Bebber again.  He pointed at him, but damn it, I couldn't see anything.  It really rattled him.  I think Nick's even starting to think he's slipping over the edge.  I got him to lie down for a while.  Murray, we have to do something. I was afraid to leave the guns down there, I–"

"I think I found someone who can help."

"We'll go now.  I don't care if I have to knock him unconscious to do it."

Murray scrambled down the stairs to grab his jacket as Nick and Cody headed off to the Jimmy.  Cody had been surprised at the lack of argument from Nick when the detective suggested they go see someone about his "visions."  The pair moved slowly, giving Murray a chance to join them.

Nick's head came up with a snap.  "Cody, there, do you see him?!"

Cody's gaze searched frantically over the quiet, empty pier, wanting desperately to see what his partner did.  "No, Nick, there's noth–"

"Damn it!  Right there!"  The dark-haired sprinted down the quay.

"Nick!" Cody yelled.  He started to follow his partner, but stumbled to a halt when Nick slowly began to fade.  "OhmyGod," he breathed when he could see the signs and shrubbery ahead of Nick through the man's body.  Then, as the word tore from his throat, Ryder disappeared.  "Nick!"

Murray raced up to join the blond detective, the blond's last cry transforming his usual uncoordinated waddling run into a perfect sprint.  "Cody?  Cody, what's wrong?  Where's Nick?"

Allen swayed on his feet and Murray reached out, wrapping thin fingers around one bicep to steady the blond.  All the blood had drained from Cody's face and his blue eyes reflected terror and confusion.  "Murray, I–  I–"

"What?"

"Nick!  He–  He was running, up there!  He was right there!  I could see him and then–"

Murray tightened his grip the combined tightness in his hand and voice drawing Cody's eyes from the empty quay to stare at the computer whiz.  "Cody, where is Nick?"

"I saw him disappear, Murray.  I saw him _disappear!_ "  Cody wrenched his arm free with a modicum of effort and stalked up the pier.  "Nick, goddamn it if this is a joke, it's not very damn funny!"

Murray jogged forward and grabbed Cody's arm again.  "Cody, wait.  Look, if there _is_ something going on here that's, well, not of this, uh, world, do you think this is safe?  Following after Nick, I mean."

Cody opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't know what to say.  He shook his head.  Together the pair walked carefully up the quay, past the point where Cody insisted Nick disappeared.  Nothing happened.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Nick ran after Bebber, anger building with each pound of his deck shoes against the ground.  The change came slowly, as through Nick were running through deeper and deeper water, slowing him down, lifting him from the ground, separating him from the world he knew.  A rushing buzz drowned all other sounds in its painful roar and he felt himself begin to fall.

Nick thrust his hands out to catch himself.  The asphalt bit into the palms of his hands and he grunted.

Bebber laughed.

Pushing himself to his feet, Nick felt a chill shaking him, tightening into a cold, hard knot in his gut.  He was standing at the top of the hill leading to Deadman's Curve.  Nearby, Bebber leaned back against the same yellow Charger the detective had watched him crash the day before.  The 'Vette was there, too, red surface reflecting back the afternoon sun.

"You're a hard man to get alone, Nicker."

Glancing around he demanded, "What the hell's going on?"

"Oh, call it a last request."

"Are you dead?" Nick asked, questioning his sanity as he did.  _Do I really want an answer?_

"Yeah, I sure am, Nicker, and it's your fault, you know."

"No way, man.  You're the one who blew it the first time you got involved with drugs!" Nick snapped, angry.

Bebber shrugged and smiled.  "Either way, Ryder, you owe me.  And you know it, too.  You owe me, and I want a race as payback."

Nick looked at the blue eyes of his old teammate and tried to still the feelings of responsibility, guilt, and betrayal that swirled through his mind.

Bebber flashed a smile.  "See, you agree with me, don'tcha, Nicker.  Come on, let's take a ride."

Nick walked over to the 'Vette, letting his hand run along the shiny hood.  He jumped in behind the wheel.  "Yeah, you got it.  Let's get this over with."

Bebber nodded, his smile widening.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

"Cody, where're we going?" Murray asked as the blond pulled out of Pier 56.

"Deadman's Curve."

"Why?  Nick doesn't have the 'Vette, he couldn't–"

"Look, Murray, I don't know why.  I don't know anything right now.  I _do_ know I watched my best friend vanish right in front of my eyes, for God's sake.  I should've listened to him, Murray.  I should've trusted him.  Look, I don't know why, but I just have a feeling that that's where he is."

Murray nodded.  "I can't explain what's happening, but I've always said there are lots of things that we can't explain yet, but they're real, Cody.  The supernatural is well named."  He studied the concerned face.  "Nick'll be all right," he added.

"I sure hope so, Boz.  I sure hope so."

At Deadman's Curve Cody pulled off the road, parking the Jimmy well out of the way of any cars that might be dragging on the narrow road.

The two detectives sat in an uncomfortable silence and waited.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Nick grabbed the stick and slammed the 'Vette into first, growling off before Bebber.  The Charger lurched in next to him and the two started their descent, picking up speed as they went.  Each man watched the glare of color from the corner of his eye as they maneuvered down the twists and turns, neither able to pull ahead of the other.

Nick jockeyed for a better position, knowing the turn was rapidly approaching. Bebber was maneuvering as well, trying to press Ryder into the outside position.  Nick knew the dangers of that position, having watched Bebber crash from there the last time.  He pressed the accelerator, softly coaxing more speed out of the twenty-year-old car.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Cody leaned forward.  "You hear that?"

"Hear what?" Murray asked.

"Cars, racing.  They're getting closer."  Cody gripped the wheel, his knuckles going white as the squeal of tires echoed through the hills.

Murray nodded.  "I heard that."

The bellow of the engines echoed louder and both detectives scanned the hills, looking for a flash of color from the rapidly approaching cars.  Although the sound increased, neither man could see anything on the road above him.

"Where are they?  Why can't we see them?" Cody fumed.

Murray just shook his head, unable to give his partner a reasonable answer.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Nick jerked the wheel to the left, the front fender moaning as it pressed against the side of Bebber's yellow car.

The ex-football player smiled over his shoulder at Nick, pressing Nick over closer to the shoulder.

Ryder fought to keep the 'Vette on the road.  One rear tire slid over, spitting gravel off the side of the hillside.  He fish-tailed back in behind Bebber, who continued to goad him closer to the shoulder.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

"They're almost here!" Murray yelled over the noise.

Cody nodded silently.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Bebber eased his foot off the accelerator and allowed Ryder to draw up alongside the car.

 _This is it_ , Nick thought.  He watched Bebber now, ignoring the road ahead, allowing his instincts to respond to the signals coming from his peripheral vision.  He could see the smile grow on the man's face.

 _Why?_ Nick moaned.  _Why, damn it?  It wasn't supposed to turn out like this.  We weren't supposed to grow up!_

Nick saw Bebber crank the Charger's wheel toward the 'Vette and stomped on the break, swerving right, then left.

The 'Vette undulated on the road as the Charger flew by, clipping the front fender of the red car, but otherwise passing harmlessly in front of Nick and sailing over the shoulder of Deadman's Curve for a second time.

Nick wrestled the 'Vette back under control, the cry of the tires burning off rubber echoing with the Charger collapsing on the rocks before it skidded out onto the sand.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Cody's hands flew to his ears as the sound of wailing tires and metal rebounding off the rocky hillside.

Murray looked frantically for some sign of the accident they had just heard, but there was nothing.

The pair scrambled out of the Jimmy, running to the side of the curve.  Only the quiet beach lay beneath them.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Nick leaped out of the 'Vette and ran back to the curve.  The yellow racer lay in a twisted puzzle on the sand.  Bebber was trapped, a piece of the hood, bent back to hold him to the ground like a contorted metal arm.  The detective stepped off the side of the steep hill, half-sliding, half-stumbling down to the sand.  Running to the trapped man, he tried unsuccessfully to pull him free.

"It's no use, Nicker," Bebber said.  "You beat me fair and square.  Why'd you come down here?"

"I don't know," Nick admitted, leaning heavily on part of the mangled car.  "Even after all that's happened I guess there's still a part of me—We were like family once: You, me, Deke, the team.  We were all there was in the world, you know?  You guys did some stupid things with your lives, things I couldn't have stopped you from doing even if I'd been there.  I think I realize that now.  Your failure, Deke's, they aren't mine."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

Murray grabbed Cody's sleeve and pointed.  Together they watched Nick fall heavily to the sand.

"Nick!" Cody yelled, nearly throwing himself off the hillside in his rush to reach the fallen man.

Murray followed the blond's kamakazi descent at a slower pace.

When he reached the bottom, Allen sprinted to his partner, turning him over gently.  "Nick?  Nick, can you hear me?  Come on, buddy, open your eyes."

Murray joined the two men, reaching out to feel for a pulse.  It was strong and steady.  He sighed in relief.

Nick's eyes flickered under the closed eyelids and he forced them open as Cody dragged him up into a seated position.  "What're ya'guys doin' here?" he asked softly, the disorientation making it hard to concentrate on actually forming the words.

"Looking for you, buddy," Cody said, refusing to release his grip on his partner's shoulders.  If he disappeared now, Cody was going with him.  Besides, if he did let go, Nick would end up face-down in the sand.

"We heard the race, Nick, it was fascinating," Murray bubbled.  "What happened?"

Nick looked back at the again empty beach.  "I beat him.  Bebber crashed again.  I think he's gone for good this time."

Cody and Murray both scanned the empty beach.  The sun was rapidly descending to the horizon.  The blond detective squinted against the brightness, unsure of the faint outlines of a tangled yellow Charger was really there or if it was just his eyes and mind playing tricks.

"Let's get outta here, okay?  Go back to the _Riptide_."

"Wait," Nick said.  "I–  I want to watch the sunset.  Please."

The pair exchanged looks.  As much as Cody wanted to put the whole thing behind him, he realized it would be impossible unless Nick could do so as well.  Besides, he couldn't say no to the look on the dark-haired man's face.

"Okay, buddy, we'll stay."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

The disorientation faded as the sun slipped farther below the horizon.  The clouds, fanning out along the Pacific, scattered the rays of sunlight into a tie-dye pattern across the sky.  A soft breeze blew in off the surf, carrying the smells of the ocean.  No traffic disturbed the silence.

Nick and Cody sat side by side, Ryder leaning against the blond man's shoulder, still physically weak.  And one of Nick's hands rested on Murray's calf.  They watched the sun set in silence, each man evaluating the events of the last two days and drawing his own conclusions and lessons.  Each knew he had participated in something out of the ordinary, something special, something that bound them closer together than ever before.

"Nick?"

"Yeah, Cody?"

"I wanted to tell you…  Well, look, I still don't know what he hell happened here, but I want you to know that I'm sorry that I didn't believe you.  It was just that, well, I mean it did sound weird.  It still does."

Nick grinned.  "I know.  Listen, I don't think I would've believed you if the whole thing was turned around.  I'm just glad you guys were here."

"I guess we won't have to go see that doctor after all," Murray said.

Cody flashed a warning glare at the man.

"Doctor?" Nick asked.

"Uh, well, buddy, you had us a little worried and we–"

"I understand," Nick said, waving off the comment.  "But I'll tell you this right now, I'm not gonna to see any shrink unless you're both standing there next to me ready to tell him what you saw and heard."

"I think I'll pass," Cody said.

"Me, too," Murray agreed, nodding seriously.

"I guess we better go before we can't see to climb out of here, huh?" Nick finally asked.

"Yeah," Cody whispered, almost afraid to leave.  "One more thing, your, uh, goodbye letter."

Nick stiffened.  "Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say thank you."

"Me, too," Murray added.

Nick remained silent, the muscles in his jaws twitching slightly in embarrassment.

"We feel the same way, buddy."

"Yeah, I know," Nick said softly, running the back of his hand across his face. "Come on, let's get out of here and go home."

"Can you make it?" Murray asked, practical as usual.

"I think so."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

The three men moved slowly up the steep side of the hill, Cody and Murray on either side of Nick, helping him along.  On the beach two figures stood together, watching the progress.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into this; I never really liked Ryder," Bebber groused.  "I do understand him better now, though."

Bebber's companion turned dark eyes on him.  "I owed him.  It's that simple, and you owed me."

"Ah, Deke, you're soft inside, always were.  You took Ryder under your wing like an ol' mother hen.  Why?"

"Because, unlike you, Nick has potential.  He's proved me right, too.  We were close, something you never did understand.  We cared about one another, cared what happened to each other.  When Nick went to Vietnam and I got mixed up with the drugs I knew I was doing something wrong.  I knew Nick would be disappointed in me.  That's why I didn't see him until the reunion.  I was ashamed of what I did, Beb, but you wouldn't understand that.  But, Nick, he's special, man.  There's so much there that people don't see.  I had a chance to see a little.  What my death did to him wasn't right.  I wanted to set the scales right, that's all."

"So you used me."

"Yes, I did.  Won't hurt you, though.  You have a few scales to right yourself, Beb.  It won't be easy.  I can rest now.  I've done what I had to do.  I wish you luck."

Deke walked away, fading into the darkness that swept across the beach as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

Bebber looked up, watching the three detectives as they moved out of sight.  Nick was in the middle still, Cody's and Murray's arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

 

The End


End file.
